


Deferred Maintenance

by owlmoose



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Sequence, Gen, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 16:50:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18265439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: The transport tubes on Babylon 5 are overdue for repairs.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sys/gifts).



> Written mainly to the prompt "trapped in an elevator", with a side of "day in the life" and "careful what you wish for". Set in Season 3, sometime after "Sic Transit Vir", with spoilers through that point. 
> 
> For Sys. I hope you enjoy them!

The transport tube halted with a shudder; Lennier grasped at the wall to steady himself. "Oh dear," he murmured. This was not the ideal company for a possibly lengthy stay in an enclosed space. On another day... but not today. Not with such tensions between his people and the Centauri.

He took a cleansing breath, begged silent forgiveness for the uncharitable thought. Then he turned toward Vir, braced in a corner. "You are well?"

"Just fine." Vir's smile did not reach his eyes. "You?"

Lennier nodded, then faced the closed doors, prepared to meditate away the time until his deliverance.


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa!" Zack almost lost his footing as the transport tube stopped abruptly; only a hand on his shoulder kept him from falling on his ass. 

"You okay?" 

The hand belonged to Lyta; Zack met her concerned eyes with a quick nod. "Yeah, fine." He tugged his uniform into place before looking around. The other three passengers all stood, a little wary, no apparent injuries. "Everyone else?"

On their nods, he tapped his communicator. It'd be a lie to say he'd never imagined being stuck in a transport tube with Lyta Alexander. But reality was never the same as silly fantasies.


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell is going on?" Susan Ivanova strode over to the main console in C&C, which was lit up like a Christmas tree with distress calls, and stabbed a button or two.

Corwin tapped his earpiece, took a beat, then nodded. "About a dozen transport tubes malfunctioned, all at once," he said. "Let me get the reports into some sort of order. You might start with Ambassador Mollari -- he sounds pretty irate."

"Wonderful." Ivanova plopped down into her seat and settled over the monitor that showed Londo's face, poised to explode. Just another Friday evening on Babylon 5.


	4. Chapter 4

"Deferred maintenance." Those were the first words Zack said out loud, following a whispered conversation over his comm that Lyta had done her best not to overhear. 

She raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Zack pulled her aside from the three civilians. They huddled together, already as far away from Lyta as was possible in these cramped quarters. She supposed she didn't blame them. "Meaning, since we broke with Earthdome, they aren't exactly sending out maintenance crews. Systems are starting to wear out."

"Ah." Lyta shrugged. "An expected price for freedom, I suppose."

Zack glanced at the others. "Let's hope everyone agrees."


	5. Chapter 5

The silence hung between them until Vir couldn't take the implied rebuke any longer. "I miss you," he blurted out. "Our talks. In the bar."

Lennier opened his eyes. "It was no longer appropriate."

Vir sighed. "I know. But all that terrible business--" He waved his hand. "I never wanted it."

Lennier lowered his head. "I know why you lost your position on Minbar. Your work was valuable. And bravely done." 

"So why--"

"Because Londo walks in darkness. And while you walk with him, you remain in his shadow." Lennier fell back into silence, and Vir did not interrupt again.


	6. Chapter 6

"When are they coming?" The passenger crossed his arms and glared at Zack. "Call them again."

Somehow, Zack restrained a sigh. "They're prioritizing the work," he said for the third time in fifteen minutes. "Some of the other tubes are less stable. They'll be here in another hour, tops. If they aren't, I'll call."

The man harrumphed; had there been space, he would've stomped off. Zack just rolled his eyes. 

"Good job," Lyta said into his ear. 

He shrugged. "Well, I wanted to work with the public. Some public!"

Lyta smiled. "As they say, be careful what you wish for."


	7. Chapter 7

Ivanova waited for the last transport tube. It glided into place, and the opening doors revealed Vir and Lennier, sitting on the floor, crosslegged, facing one another.

Vir scrambled to his feet, while Lennier rose smootly. "Thank you, Commander," Lennier said, bowing; he walking past her and down the corridor, out of sight.

Ivanova looked at Vir. "You're okay?"

"Yeah." He stared after the vanished Lennier. "Nothing like forced solitude and time to think, right?"

She shrugged. "I suppose." Vir wandered off in the opposite direction, and she looked longingly at the transport tube. Maybe she'd get stuck next time.


End file.
